Metal detector

[jimg.allentown]

I have been thinking about getting a new whiz-bang fancy metal detector. I would have gotten a White's, but it appears they are no longer in the metal detector business.
In the past, I had several cheap ones that didn't do a good job. Most will tell you it detected metal, but no clue as to what it might be. Then I got a White's, and it was a lot better. However, the White's is really showing its age, and it is time to replace it with something a bit more modern.

Looking for suggestions on who makes a GOOD metal detector - one that will (hopefully) be the last one I buy for a very long time.

 

[Greg_Ky]

Check out Minelab.
Poke here

 

[randyrenfro7]

Contact Gary Drayton on Curse of Oak Island, he finds a lot of top pocket stuff.

 

[RESLLS]

I got a Garrett from Kellyco. Had it about 10 years. The at pro. Which was the new model when I got it. If had had it to do over I would have got a less expensive one. Don't use it as much as I thought. Got it because of being waterproof. It's a good one and goes deep. Someone else here has the same one. There used to be a show called Diggers and it is the one they started with. Then they switched to the at gold followed by the at max. Garret and Minelab are both good machines. I probably should have just got the Ace 300 or 400. A lot easier to use. The at line is a little complicated till you play with it for a while.

 

[jimg.allentown]

I appreciate the responses. Right now, I think I am leaning towards the Garrett. They seem to have been around the longest and seem to have a solid reputation. I looked at the MineLab website, and it seemed like they wanted to take over and make my decision for me. One thing I definitely want to add is a pinpointer. Hopefully, when the weather starts to get more "springlike" I will do some serious shopping.

 

[Dingo3]

I have a 20 plus year old Tesoro. It’s been good to me and if you want a high end one with all the gadgets it’s a good choice. Best results are when it’s set up right. Minerals in the soil and moisture content along with the type of metal your after can change at every location. It’s designed to be adjusted for conditions and should be set up at every location.

 

[Jim in LA]

I have been thinking about getting a new whiz-bang fancy metal detector. I would have gotten a White's, but it appears they are no longer in the metal detector business.
In the past, I had several cheap ones that didn't do a good job. Most will tell you it detected metal, but no clue as to what it might be. Then I got a White's, and it was a lot better. However, the White's is really showing its age, and it is time to replace it with something a bit more modern.

Looking for suggestions on who makes a GOOD metal detector - one that will (hopefully) be the last one I buy for a very long time.

I did not know that Garrett Metal Detectors had aquired Whites, but they did in 2020. I have two Fisher detectors, a 1260X and an F2. One Bounty Hunter DE 280 and one S2 Garrett Ipicked from neighbors trash. Always wanted a Tesoro Vaquero but waited too late. Founder Jack Gifford passed away and the company closed up. The first detector I owned was a Jetco Mustang BFO, anyone here start out with one? Fisher,Minelab,Teknetics,Garrett,Nokta, and even Bounty Hunter.

 

[doug in missouri]

I have a 20 plus year old Tesoro. It’s been good to me and if you want a high end one with all the gadgets it’s a good choice. Best results are when it’s set up right. Minerals in the soil and moisture content along with the type of metal your after can change at every location. It’s designed to be adjusted for conditions and should be set up at every location.

I also have a Tesoro Sidewinder. What I like about it is it VERY light. Takes one 9 volt battery. No meters, just listen to the sound with headphones on. DOUG

 

[doug in missouri]

I have a 20 plus year old Tesoro. It’s been good to me and if you want a high end one with all the gadgets it’s a good choice. Best results are when it’s set up right. Minerals in the soil and moisture content along with the type of metal your after can change at every location. It’s designed to be adjusted for conditions and should be set up at every location.

Belonged to a metal detector club in Denver, Colorado. Have found planted gold with it. Other ones went right over it with their Minelabs, etc. DOUG

 

[BillinCentralMO]

I have been thinking about getting a new whiz-bang fancy metal detector. I would have gotten a White's, but it appears they are no longer in the metal detector business.
In the past, I had several cheap ones that didn't do a good job. Most will tell you it detected metal, but no clue as to what it might be. Then I got a White's, and it was a lot better. However, the White's is really showing its age, and it is time to replace it with something a bit more modern.

Looking for suggestions on who makes a GOOD metal detector - one that will (hopefully) be the last one I buy for a very long time.

You might like to check out findmall.com .

 

[Dingo3]

I did not know that Garrett Metal Detectors had aquired Whites, but they did in 2020. I have two Fisher detectors, a 1260X and an F2. One Bounty Hunter DE 280 and one S2 Garrett Ipicked from neighbors trash. Always wanted a Tesoro Vaquero but waited too late. Founder Jack Gifford passed away and the company closed up. The first detector I owned was a Jetco Mustang BFO, anyone here start out with one? Fisher,Minelab,Teknetics,Garrett,Nokta, and even Bounty Hunter.

I didn’t know Tesoro went under. That’s a shame, they were good detectors. I have been out of the local club for a good while.

 

[alexgoodwin]

I have been thinking about getting a new whiz-bang fancy metal detector. I would have gotten a White's, but it appears they are no longer in the metal detector business.
In the past, I had several cheap ones that didn't do a good job. Most will tell you it detected metal, but no clue as to what it might be. Then I got a White's, and it was a lot better. However, the White's is really showing its age, and it is time to replace it with something a bit more modern.

Looking for suggestions on who makes a GOOD metal detector - one that will (hopefully) be the last one I buy for a very long time.

I have been thinking about getting a new whiz-bang fancy metal detector. I would have gotten a White's, but it appears they are no longer in the metal detector business.
In the past, I had several cheap ones that didn't do a good job. Most will tell you it detected metal, but no clue as to what it might be. Then I got a White's, and it was a lot better. However, the White's is really showing its age, and it is time to replace it with something a bit more modern.

Looking for suggestions on who makes a GOOD metal detector - one that will (hopefully) be the last one I buy for a very long time.

It sounds like you're ready to upgrade to a top-notch metal detector that'll stand the test of time. While it's unfortunate that White's is no longer in the business, there are still plenty of reputable brands out there.

The Goldxtra detector you mentioned seems like a solid choice, especially if you've had a positive experience with it over the past year. Its versatility for beginners, underwater and beach detection, as well as its ability to detect at high depths, all make it a compelling option.

However, if you're open to exploring other brands, Minelab and Garrett are two names often cited for their quality and reliability in the metal-detecting community. Models like the Minelab Equinox series or the Garrett AT Pro have garnered praise for their advanced features and performance across various conditions.

Ultimately, it boils down to your specific needs and preferences. Consider factors like your budget, the types of environments you'll be detected in, and any special features you prioritize. Happy hunting with your new detector, whichever one you choose!

 

[alexgoodwin]

It sounds like you're ready to upgrade to a top-notch metal detector that'll stand the test of time. While it's unfortunate that White's is no longer in the business, there are still plenty of reputable brands out there.

The Goldxtra detector you mentioned seems like a solid choice, especially if you've had a positive experience with it over the past year. Its versatility for beginners, underwater and beach detection, as well as its ability to detect at high depths, all make it a compelling option.

However, if you're open to exploring other brands, Minelab and Garrett are two names often cited for their quality and reliability in the metal-detecting community. Models like the Minelab Equinox series or the Garrett AT Pro have garnered praise for their advanced features and performance across various conditions.

Ultimately, it boils down to your specific needs and preferences. Consider factors like your budget, the types of environments you'll be detected in, and any special features you prioritize. Happy hunting with your new detector, whichever one you choose!

 

[bc]

I have one of the best White detectors. It really boils down to what you are looking for. Iron relics, silver, gold, etc. Different metals all are found at different frequencies. For instance ferrous metals and iron at 10 khz, gold at 14 khz, and silver, copper, and brass can be found between 3 khz and 7 khz. And then these frequencies need to be matched to the coils. Your better detectors have a detector circuit that can handle multiple frequencies. Now if you were looking only for gold then you would want a specific one for that and a matching coil for your best result. The coils also vary by size and design depending upon what you are looking for.

The next step is the discriminator circuit. That is able to identify what is down there through the frequency, etc. and then tell you what it is. For example the high dollar ones will tell you if it is a coin, pop top, iron, gold, bullet, etc and how deep it is by the signal. Lower the sound is iron and the higher pitch is your jewelry. On the scale, the low end is iron and high end is your jewelry. The guys who work beaches and parks for coins and jewelry don't want to mess with digging a pop top or aluminum can so they want detectors with a good discriminator that keeps them from digging trash. The discriminator will skip anything on the low end you don't want to mess with such as the pop tops so it can be there and you never know it. Of course they don't work perfectly depending upon soil, sand, and water conditions.

I use mine for archeological work mainly looking for relics so I have the discriminator set about zero cause I want to find and dig everything. I can find a cut nail at 15 inches in clay soil.

There was a show on the history channel or one of those channels with two guys who went around the country detecting stuff. They used Garrett AT Pro's. Gary Drayton on Oak Island also uses Garrett and I think the AT Pro. Last week he had some kind of large coil on his for looking through the mud they were digging.

Your HF cheap detector will find metal but not the deep stuff and it may miss the small stuff. When I bot my White the dealer told me I could save a few hundred by getting the next step down as it still had their top detector circuit but the discriminator circuit didn't have all the bells and whistles that the higher priced one did but I spent the extra cash and it was my Christmas present I was picking out.

Along with a metal detector you also need a good pinpointer for finding stuff as you are digging around. I can dig a hole but still need to use the pinpointer to zero in on something. An old piece of baling wire will give off a signal in multiple spots making it a little tricky to find.

Kellyco seems to be the large supplier of all types of detectors with some good prices.